I first used drop in on the Amazon Echo Show when I was having a party and had to run out while people were still there to get some things we needed. When I got to the grocery store, I decided to test it out and see how everyone in the party reacted. I opened the Alexa app on my phone and dropped into the Echo Show in my kitchen, instantly opening up a video call with some of my friends who visibly jumped at the abrupt sight of my face holding a few limes in my hands. “Is this all we need?”

“How did you do that?!” a friend of mine exclaimed as a bunch of them now gathered around Amazon device in the kitchen.

“And how long have you been there?” said the another–clearly talking smack before I called.

How Drop-In on the Echo Works

Now, besides scaring your unsuspecting friends, the drop-in feature for the Echo, Echo Dot, and the Echo Show especially is a kinda handy. You can use it almost as an intercom system since it connects instantly, and the Echo Show actually uses motion sensors to determine if anyone is even there on the other end before you make the call.

You can use it from Echo to Echo or just by using the Amazon Alexa app on your phone (you can only to outbound video from the app though) and to avoid privacy issues there are options for who and when people can use it, if you only want your own devices capable of doing it to one another, etc.

How to Set Up Drop-In on Your Echo

To set it up, download the Alexa app on your phone if you don’t already have it and make sure you have the latest version.

It should automatically have you setup Alexa Calling and Messaging when you open the latest version, but if not, tap the speech bubble icon (Conversations) and it will have you sign up there.

Next, head to Settings.

Tap on all the devices you want to allow drop in on (as in people can call into the device).

Tap on Drop In under General.

Set it to On (to allow all calls in), Only My Household (if you want to use it simply to and from your own devices), or Off to disable it on that device entirely.

Now, Drop In is not allowed from any contacts by default until we choose which ones we want to be able to manually. To do that, tap the conversations icon at the bottom again and then tap the person icon at the top to get to contacts.

Tap the contact you want to allow.

Tap the Allow Drop In.

Now, that person will be able to drop into the devices you selected earlier instantly.

How to Drop-In to Other People’s Echo

To use Drop-In to connect to other people’s Echo devices, you can simply tell any Echo device you have, “Alexa, drop in on [Contact’s Name]” and if they’ve allowed you it’ll let you drop in. Alternatively, you can also:

Open the Alexa app on your phone.

Tap on the conversations tab.

Tap the contact you want to drop in on (ones that have allowed you should be visible there, if not tap the people icon and then tap the contact).

And that’s basically the gist of how to use drop in on Amazon’s Echo devices. Let me know if you found that helpful in the comments below and follow me on social for other tips and tricks, videos, and more. As always, thanks for reading!